Esoterica
by AvariceAdvocate
Summary: After an explosion that damages the ultra-warp coil, Aya and Razer must travel to a strange planet, that at first looks like a paradise for man and machine alike. But as they uncover the dark secrets that the world holds, Aya and Razer discover how much danger they are truly in. Danger that could get them both killed. Or worse...
1. Prolouge

**Prompt: **_After the return to Oa, Green and Red Lantern corps gather together to form various teams to aid the planets of the Forgotten Zone. While Kilowog stays back at Oa to train his new recruits and Hal tries to deal with the new Green Lantern Guy Gardner, Razer and Aya team up and travel to Razer's planet to plan out what needs to be done. However, during ultra-warp, something goes wrong and the ship gets out of ultra-warp in the half way. Aya informs that there is something in the system she lacks the ability to repair, so they search for a planet to stay and repair the problem by hand. To their luck, they happen to find a planet which is technologically very advanced and people use their companion AI programs to get their jobs done. While Aya seems exited to meet her fellow AIs, Razer is quiet annoyed by all those robots, and their "affection" towards Aya_

**Okay, I know the prompt only calls for a oneshot, but as I was typing it, it evolved into this really cool idea that could end up pretty awesome, so I threw caution to the wind and just wrote it out. Sue me.**

**Characters/Pairings:** Razer, Aya; Razaya

**Key**: _Italics_ = Thoughts

**Disclaimer: I wish I owned GL:TAS, but if wishes were bread, no one would go hungry.**

* * *

A loud boom echoed through the Interceptor. The entire craft shook with the blast, knocking the crew of two to the floor.

"What was that?" asked Razer pointedly while helping the AI to her feet.

"We have encountered some sort of interference while in ultra-warp. This interference seems to have damaged the ultra-warp coil."

"Did we reach our destination?" The AI and the Red Lantern had been sent by the Guardians of Oa to help with the reconstruction of the Forgotten Zone, namely Razer's home world.

"No. We are only about halfway there. Apologies, Razer. I can only imagine how much you wish to return to your home world."

Razer sighed. In actuality, he had no desire in the slightest to return to his home world. There were too many memories there. The only reason he had volunteered for the mission (besides to get away from Oa and the self-righteous Green Lanterns, most self-righteous of all being the other Green Lantern from Earth, the newly recruited Guy Gardner) was to spend more time with the Aya. Razer sighed again, lost in thought.

"Were you injured in the explosion, Razer?" asked Aya.

"No. Why do you ask?" asked Razer.

"You show a repetitive respitory anomaly I did not observe prior to the explosion. Are you suffering from an ailment?"

Razer smiled softly. "Aya, that was a sigh."

"A sigh," Aya said, testing it out. "And what does this sighing mean?"

"Um… A sigh is an expression of emotional release."

"Catalogued. Thank you for the information."

"Not a problem, Aya." It was not until then Razer realized how close he and the AI were. If he leaned forward a bit, their lips would meet. Suddenly uncomfortable, he took a step back, and asked briskly, "How is the ship?"

"Repairs are in progress, and the damages are not as bad as those we suffered with Green Lantern Hal and Lieutenant Kilowag. Unfortunately, I do not have the correct components to fully repair the coil."

Razor settled back into his chair. "Are there any inhabited planets nearby that could have the components you require?

"There is one planet within the vicinity that fits those criteria. Plotting a course now."  
"Are the inhabitants friendly this time?"

"It says in my records that the population is inhabited by humanoid life-forms of an agriculture-based society."

Razer rolled his eyes. "So you don't know."

"No."

As the planet came into view, Razer sighed, "We'll just have to risk it."

* * *

Note: I didn't know whether to italicize Aya's speech or not, since I've seen it written as both, so I just made it unitalicized. Tell me if I'm wrong, since I really don't know.

**Another Note: This is really just a set-me-up chapter, so sorry it's ago short and sucky. The rest will be longer, and better, hopefully. I'll probably post once or twice a day until I finish.**


	2. Walking, Hugs and Extra Storage Space

Once the_ Interceptor_ touched down in a clearing, the travelers exited and looked around.

"Are there any signs of life nearby Aya?" asked Razer.

"Yes. Scans indicate that there are multiple life forms within fifteen clicks of this location." Aya started to walk forward. "They originate from this direction."

The travelers had been quietly walking through the semi-thick forest for a while, when Aya suddenly spoke up. "I believe it unwise to wear your power ring while we are on this planet."

Razer, who had been lost in thought, looked up, confused, until he saw what Aya was talking about.

Carved into a tree was a disturbing message. The carving was a Red Lantern symbol, surrounded by what appeared to be flames and script of the planet's native people.

"It says, 'Death to the Red Lanterns. They shall burn for their crimes,'" Aya supplied helpfully.

"What a cheerful message," Razer spat. But all the same, he pulled the ring off his finger, and after a flash of red light, he stood their in only his civvies, as Hal liked to call them.

"Give me the ring," Aya commanded, albeit softly.

Razer complied, a tad confused, but understanding came to him when he saw Aya touch her hip and put his ring into a storage compartment. "That's new..."

"I added more storage capacity to my physical form after the Battle of Oa. Green Lantern Hal thought it was wise to, as he put it, 'Be prepared.'"  
Razer shook his head at the Earthling. "Probably some stupid Earth saying." Wanting to change the subject, Razer asked, "How far are we from the settlement?"

"Ten point seven eight six clicks," came Aya's reply.

"Then we should keep walking," said Razer.

"Affirmative," Aya agreed.

Not long after they had seen the first carving, they saw another. And another. By the time they had walked ten minutes, the pair had seen at least fifteen of the symbols of hatred.

Razer sighed.

"Razer, your vitals have changed, and you have just sighed. Are you being adversely affected emotionally by the carvings?" asked Aya, concerned.

"No," Razer said sourly. In actuality, Razer had been filled with an emotion he could not name. The fact that Aya was holding his ring for him, holding it inside of her, close to her hea- CPU. _She is a nav-com. An AI. She probably just did it out of practicality. I'm just making a big deal out of something small, something meaningless,_ he had thought. But still, the feeling persisted, causing the sigh. "I'm fine, Aya."

"But-" Aya started to object.

Razer squeezed the bridge of his nose and snapped, "Just drop it."

"Razer,-"

Usually, Razer would have snarled something vile at whoever had kept bothering him, but instead he just turned around and looked at the AI. _She looks so much like Illana... _Mentally shaking off the thought, he simply said, "You do not need to worry about me."

Aya opened her mouth as if to speak, but shut it. Instead she nodded. _I can only hope he is all right, since it will be the day that he openly embraces Green Lantern Hal that Razer shall _speak_ his true feelings..._

As he was about to turn back around when a thought hit him. "What happened to your Lantern symbol?" It was true, the little lantern that had adorned Aya's torso was missing.

"I believe that it would be unwise to show affiliation to any Lantern corp on this planet," Aya said grimly.

Razer nodded in agreement, and then thought of something else. "What about the ship? It is hard to mistake it for a merchant's vessel."

Aya smiled. "I have already remedied that problem. I can use the spare energy from Green Lantern Hal's power battery and the engine to create a holographic skin that will make it seem like a merchant's vessel."

"You have more cleverness in your smallest circuit than all of the Green Lanterns of Oa combined," Razer praised.

"Thank you," Aya beamed. On an impulse, Aya threw her arms around the Red Lantern.

Razer was shocked. Actually, if he turned around, he wouldn't be able to see shocked with binoculars. (**AN: I think I got that saying right... Sorry if I didn't!)** All he could do was blink and try not to let his mouth hang. Once his brain started to function again, he wrapped his arms around her. Though he had come into contact with her multiple times before, this was different. This was warmer, somehow, than the contact they had previously shared. There were no yellow crystals, no power ring failures, no Red Lanterns hacking into Aya's systems, and Aya wasn't in pieces. _It's kinda nice to have a moment when we are not about to die..._

After what seemed like hours, but was still too soon for Razer, Aya ended the embrace.

Once Razer had recovered, he asked, "What was that for?"

"Green Lantern Hal said that an appropriate expression on his planet was a physical embrace. I am trying to expand my horizons. Was this an adequate expression of gratitude?" asked Aya, a tad shyly.

"It was fine," Razer smiled. I_ never thought I would live to say this. Or, well, think this. I am grateful to Hal Jordan. _Razer shuddered at the thought. He was about to say something more, but a sudden sound from the undergrowth stopped him. Instinctively, he raised his fist as if to blast whatever it was, but then he realized he had no ring. None the less, he shoved Aya behind him and readied himself for the whatever was coming.


	3. Attack of the Shriekers!

**Sorry for the delay, but I had to write a really stupid paper for what the morons who surround me call school. **

**Also, I forgot my disclaimer for my previous chapter, so I OWN NOTHING. Though, I want it. GL:TAS SHALL BE MINE! (Stupid cap-lock)**

* * *

_Previously on _Esoterica_:_

_Razer shuddered at the thought. He was about to say something more, but a sudden sound from the undergrowth stopped him. Instinctively, he raised his fist as if to blast whatever it was, but then he realized he had no ring. None the less, he shoved Aya behind him and readied himself for whatever was coming._

"Aya, what are we facing?" Razer asked, looking around for a weapon.

"Scans indicate a single life form stalking us, and more in the immediate proximity, approaching quickly," Aya said, crossing her arms in a fighting stance, standing back-to-back with Razer.

Razer swooped down and grabbed a long tree branch, which was the color of the Star Sapphires' energy, and held it like a club. "Better than nothing…" The two kept their backs to the other and slowly circled, waiting for a fight.

The undergrowth crackled again, and started to open. Razer raised his branch and Aya's fists started to glow. Suddenly, a small figure tumbled out. It was a blobby little thing, about the size of a football. It looked up, saw the hostile figures and let out a deafening squeal.

Razer gasped and covered his ears, collapsing to the ground from the pain, while Aya emitted an odd beeping sound. "Frequency …shorting … my circuits !"

Razer, seeing Aya's distress, groped for his tree branch, wanting to hit the shrieking thing, silence it, stop the pain. He raised the branch, and was brought it down with as much force as he could muster in his addled state. It hit nothing. He tried again and again, but all he was hitting was air and soil. "Where is that stupid thing!" He said, words punctuated with whacks of his branch.

Aya wasn't doing so good. "Razer… the noise… shutdown imminent... too mu—" her voice was distorted and finally cut off as her systems shut down.

Of course, Razer couldn't hear this, all his energy focused on stopping the awful noise, and only turned when he felt Aya's hand brush his calf as her body collapsed to the ground. "NO!" All he could see was Illana, laid out on that cold slab, surrounded by candles. "Not her too!"

Enraged, he grabbed the branch again and rose to a knee. Growling, he swiped at the deafening monster, and at last hitting it. The noise stopped, and Razer shouted in success. "Take that you little piece of furnace fodder!" Immediately he turned back to Aya, but spots appeared in his vision and he collapsed, hitting his head a rock that he hadn't seen previously. His last conscious thought was, _But I turned back for her…_

* * *

_Razer turned his head back toward his new wife, who was bustling around their new abode. "You didn't mention you had seven brothers," groaned Razer, who was splayed out on the bed._

_Illana smiled sheepishly. "You never asked." She placed a wet cloth on his head._

_Razer smiled and rolled his eyes. "After I first met you-"_

_"Saved me," Illana cut in._

_"After I first met you, you told me your whole life story! You could have mentioned that you had seven gigantic brothers!"_

_Illana laughed, a beautiful sound. "I didn't think we would eventually get married!"_

_Razer chuckled. "I knew I wanted you as my wife from the first moment I saw you." In Razer's culture, the prospective groom was pitted in battle against the bride's brothers. If he was victorious, they were wed the next day, but if the brothers won, the suitor was sent away, never to be seen again by anyone in that family. He suffered from a broken arm, leg, nose, bruises all over his body and a ten centimeter gash along his side. "I just did not know I'd have to fight seven men for your hand!" _

"_Well, you won! And now we are married!" Her grin spread ear to ear. She put a hand down on his arm. "So, husband, is there anything I can do for you?"_

"_Yes," said Razer through clenched teeth. "Move your hand! It's on my broken arm."_

"_Sorry!" Illana cried. She jerked her hand away, but accidently knocked over the glass of water that sat on the bedside table, which spilled all over Razer._

_Both of them looked at the mess and burst out laughing. "You're a spaz!" _

"_Yes," Illana said while leaning down, "but I'm your spaz!" She gave him a quick peck to the lips. "I love you, Razer."_

"_I love you too."_

* * *

Razer jumped awake as a bucket of water was poured over his body. "What's going on?!"

A tall, humanoid being, about the height of Hal Jordan, but the build of the branch he used previously as a club against the screaming monster. His skin was a pale blue color, and the 'clothes' he wore were a few shades darker. "You and your Bot were attacked by a Shrieker. Nasty beasties, they are." He spoke with an accent Hal would call Australian.

Razer leapt to his feat and looked around. "Aya! Where's Aya?!"

The creature put his hand on Razer's shoulder. "Calm down, mate. Your Bot is at the repair center. That Shrieker did a number on her circuits. But don't worry, she'll be fine!"

Razer took some panting breathes, and said, "Thank you." Looking around for the first time, he asked, "Where am I?"

"You're in the outpost infirmary! I would have taken you straight to the village, but you were not in a good way when I found you and your Bot. Had to carry you like a sack of vegetables!"

Razer blanched. "I am sorry."

The alien waved a two-fingered hand. "No problem! You don't exactly weigh much. You eat very often, mate?"

"My species can store food for months, so no."

The alien leaned back on his staff that he pulled from nowhere. Speaking of, why are you on this planet? We're a bit off the beaten path, if you know what I mean."

"My ship had… technical difficulties. Razer wracked his memory for the story he and Aya had made up for their being here. "I am a merchant."

The alien's single eye lit up. "You have anything for trade?"

Razer, thinking quickly, replied, "I was on my way to resupply for another run. Sorry."

"Oh, that's a shame. I'm Karagu, by the way."

"Razer."

"Nice to meet you. Now, let's get you back to the village." Karagu led Razer out of the infirmary

"What about Aya?"

"Oh, she's already there. I had Kondo run her up right after I found you two. That's where the repair center is."

"Kondo?"

"Kondo's my Bot," Karagu said while lifting a branch from the path.

Razer had just leapt over the log that was in the middle of the path, a while farther down the path when he thought of something else. "Is your civilization good with machines? My ship has needs a specific part, and our replacement was damaged in the explosion."

"What do you need?"

Razer shrugged. "Aya would know better than I. She knows every inch of the ship from bow to stern."

Karagu made something that looked like a smile, but with his odd features, it was hard to tell. "That's a Bot for you." He shook his insect-like head. "Don't you worry; the village mechanic will fix 'er up in a jiffy!"

"That is good. We must be back to my home world soon. Aya and I have important work to do."

"Well, lucky for you we have the best mechanic on-world!"

Razer was starting to get annoyed by this creature. "Very lucky indeed," he said in a slight tone.

Karagu didn't seem to hear it, and said, "Your Bot is a real beauty, you know? You don't find many a man with such a fine female AI."

Razer felt the blood rushing to his face, but with will to put Hal Jordan to shame, kept it in check. "She really is. I am very lucky to have her."

Karagu then began to prattle on about his AI, Kondo, but Razer tuned him out. _I hope Aya will be alright. I cannot believe I could not protect her. Her or Illana. I am the worst soldier of all time…_

Razer was cut off from his self-abusive thoughts by Karagu saying, "Look, we're here!" He walked up to a branch that held a curtain of an ivy-like plant, and spread the ivy.

* * *

**Duh, duh, duh. Cliffhanger! More soon!**

**And yes, I know I took the easy way out and made my alien species' looks and mannerisms really Earth-like. Sue me.**


	4. Ioreket the All Knowing

**So, sorry about the wait for my post on this one! Due to restrictions in my schedule, I'll only be able to post once or twice a week. But, these chapters will be longer than my prior ones, as to make up for the lost time.**

**Disclaimer: Since the Orange Light has not yet chosen me as its bearer, GL: TAS is not mine. **

* * *

_Previously on Esoterica:_

_Razer was cut off from his self-abusive thoughts by Karagu saying, "Look, we're here!" He walked up to a branch that held a curtain of an ivy-like plant, and spread the ivy. _

"Beautiful, isn't it?" asked Karagu, motioning to the valley that spread out below them.

Razer nodded. "Very nice." And it was. The valley, green and fertile, spread between four ridges, one of which they were standing on, that acted like a bowl. Below, fields spread with small figures tending them. In the center, there was a cluster of buildings, each about the size and shape of a grain silo on Earth. The village was full of life and color, even from afar. "Very nice indeed," he sighed.

Karagu led them quickly down the ridge on a well-worn path, and into the valley. As they walked through the fields, suns beating down on their backs, Karagu waved to all the field workers. They waved back and Raze noticed something.

"They are robots?"

"AIs," Karagu agreed. "Bios and Bots split the work in our community. It all works out well."

"Your fields are testament to that," Razer said. The fields were full to the bursting with crops, which looked like a sugarcane/apple tree hybrid.

Karagu lifted three of his thin fingers to his 'lips' and blew. The piercing whistle echoed about the valley. Seeing Razer's slight alarm, Karagu explained, "Just telling them I'm coming."

Razer, hardly assured, nodded and continued to follow the tall being. This planet gave him an odd feeling, as if something was amiss. He shook off the feeling, and sighed.

Karagu turned his head. "You okay, mate? You keep doing that breathing thing."

Razer rolled his eyes. "That seems to be the question of the day. First Aya, and now you. For the record, it was a sigh."

"Okay," Karagu said. "Just don't want you to get the whole village sick. A few years back, there was an awful sickness. Wiped out half the children in the village. Some of the little nippers hadn't even gotten their own Bot yet." Karagu shook his head. "Real shame."

"Indeed," Razer agreed.

As they neared the village, Razer asked, "When will I be able to see Aya?"

Karagu pointed to the village. "See that building, the one with the blue roof? That's where your Bot is. She probably is still being repaired, though."

Razer nodded resolutely.

As they entered the main square of the, Karagu and Razer were met by a medium sized group of very diverse people. All of them had the same light blue coloring, but the resemblances stopped there; some were two feet taller than Razer, some four feet wider, and some didn't even have discernible heads. "What did you bring us back today Karagu?" asked someone in the crowd asked.

"I found the Bio to the Bot that Kondo brought back! His ship malfunctioned and he and his Bot were attacked by Shriekers."

The crowd shuddered a collective shudder. Cries of, "Nasty," and "That's too bad!" poured out of the group. Razer nodded his thanks.

Karagu then addressed the crowd. "Who wishes to shelter the merchant for the night? I would shelter him, but I have no space for him in my dwelling, what with the new baby and Bot-let."

For a few moments, the crowd murmured among itself, until a hunched, cloaked figure came forward. Leaning heavily on his staff, the figure called, "I shall shelter the merchant."

The crowd gasped, but soon quieted. Karagu turned to Razer and asked, "Will this be satisfactory?" After seeing Razer's resolute nod, he added in a whisper, "Be careful of the old man. He is very tricky." Turning back to the crowd, he shouted, "Ioreket shall shelter the traveler!"

The old man motioned for Razer to follow him as the crowd dispersed. Razer followed, feeling of dread being seeded in his gut.

* * *

As they entered Ioreket's hut, he turned around and said, "You really shouldn't carry your ring with you. My people do not treat Red Lanterns kindly. Especially the kind that lies about being one."

Razer quickly said, "I have no idea what you are talking about."

"Do not try and deny it. It is as obvious that you used to wear a power ring of the Red Lanterns. At your first greeting with that fool Karagu, you raised a fist as if to blast him, and if you were a Green Lantern, you would not have removed your ring, since we are supporters of the Guardians."

Razer gaped at the old man. "How do you know these things? You were not there!"

"So young, yet so oblivious... I was nearby when I heard the attack. I may be old, but I am not senile. Only love could explain the way you were trying to protect that Bot of yours," the old man smiled. He then grew more serious. "But you must hide your ring from my kinsmen. Red Lanterns are a hated force here."

"I saw the carvings outside your village," Razer said toxically. "And I am not in possession of a ring." He showed the old man his empty pockets. "See?"

"I do see... You must keep your hiding place very secret. They will kill you upon sight if they discover you."

"Then why haven't you killed me yet?"

"You said it yourself. You are not in possession of a Red Lantern power ring," Ioreket said. "And I also sense good in your heart. Love; love for that Bot of yours."

Razer choked as if on a beverage he was drinking. After he stopped coughing, he stuttered, "I d- That's craz- Aya- A Bo-"

His rather pathetic denial was cut off by Ioreket raising his hand. "It is as obvious as the fact that you wonder how you still keep the Ring, since you feel love in your heart, not solely rage."

Razer slumped his shoulders. "I'm so confused."

"All will be clear soon, my son. But for now, you must hide your love as well as your ring."

"I thought I was hiding it..."

"You are lucky that I was the only one who noticed. The only bigger taboo than having a Bot of a different gender, which you already have broken, is loving a Bot."

Razer smiled bitterly. "Great. Another reason for this planet to hate me!"

Ioreket slammed his cane. "Do not joke! The penalty for love between a Bio and a Bot is the deactivation of the Bot before the eyes of the Bio-"

Razer flew to his feet. "They'd have to kill me first!"

"Be calm son. The patrol will come if we are too loud," Ioreket warned. "That is only the first part. The Bio would then be cast out to fend for themselves for twenty of our years." Ioreket sighed. "In all of our society's history, this has only happened once."

"But Aya and I are only travelers. We cannot be subject to the laws of your people!" Razer cried.

Ioreket shrugged. "That is not what my people would think. To them, as long as a crime is committed on their land, it is under their jurisdiction. My people are very self-righteous."

"So if anyone else finds out about either of my secrets, both Aya and I could die?"

"Sadly, yes." Ioreket was about to speak when a bell began to ring. Its deep, resonant tones echoed through the entire valley. "That is the bell of sleep. It is... unwise for us to talk any longer." Quickly, he created a pallet out of a spare blanket and something that looked vaguely like a pillow.

Razer lay down and sighed. He wanted no more than to find Aya, fix the ship and leave the planet as soon as possible. Suddenly, he was hit by something. "You! You were the one who loved a Bot!" he whispered urgently. It all made sense: the old man's ramshackle hut on the edge of the village, how the villagers would shy away from him, even the man's decreipt form.

Ioreket shifted on his cot. "Yes. I was. That is why I did not turn you in to the village authorities. I did not want you to suffer through what I had to, all those many years ago."

"But what happened? Why are you now back in the village? How are y-"

Ioreket shifted so that he faced the wall, away from Razer. "It is late, and I am very tired. Go to sleep."

"But-"

"I do not want to remember things best left forgotten," Ioreket interrupted him, voice hard.

"I am sorry. Good night," Razer said. "And thank you."

That night, Razer dreamed vividly. At first it was his usual nightmare, which consisted of only his memories of Illana, but as it progressed, it changed...

_Razer was walking in the middle of the market square, carrying a basket of wares for trade when he first saw her. There she stood, haggling with a vendor over a bushel of fruit._

_It sounded cheesy to Razer, but it was love at first sight. Her spirit, her grace, her surreal beauty, all hitting him at once. "Wow…" He would have stared the whole day, but he was jostled along by the crowd, losing his view._

_Razer saw her next five days later, after the next market day. Razer had been walking back toward his dwelling when he saw a disturbance in the alley he walked by. At first he dismissed it as just some homeless person settling down for the evening, until, that is, he heard her voice._

_"Please, I have no money!" she cried, backed into a corner by a large thug._

_"Well, girlie, then you'll have to pay some other way…" said the thug, waggling his eyebrows suggestively and running his eyes down her body slowly._

_Illana gasped. "No! Please! HELP! HEL-" Her scream was cut off by the thug using one of his hands to cover her mouth._

_The thug grabbed her arms with his other hand and held them against the wall above her head. "No one will hear you scream, and even if they do, they won't care! You're just some nobody farmer's daughter," he crooned into her ear._

_Razer could stand it no longer. He growled and as he drew his knife, he stepped up behind the thug and held it to his throat. "Continue, and no one will have time to hear __**your**__ scream."_

_The thug released Illana and stepped back, arms raised above his head in surrender. "Okay, okay!"_

_"Now apologize to her," Razer snarled._

_"No way!" Razer dug the knife deeper, drawing a drop of blood. "Okay, okay! I'm sorry! I'm sorry!"_

_"Now get lost!" Razer spat, releasing the thug, who ran for dear life._

_"Thank you," came a small voice from the ground._

_Razer looked toward the voice, having momentarily forgotten about Illana after his defeat of the thug. Offering the fallen girl a hand, he said, "Not at all."_

_Once standing, the girl said, "My name's Illana."_

_"Razer."_

_Illana smiled a smile that could light up the darkest of corners. "How fitting for a hero than our greatest hero's name!" Razer the Wise was one of founders of the city in which they stood, before the days of the Warlords, who had died in the battle against the Manhunters, saving a small child and his mother._

_"I'm no hero," murmured Razer."You are to me."_

The scene changed.

_Razer stood before a table, supported by a hastily carved crutch. Across the table from him sat two men, his father and Ilana's._

"_Razer," spoke Ilana's father, "You have proven yourself worthy of my daughter's hand by defeating my seven sons in battle. I give you my congratulations and wish you many children." _

_Razer, of course, knew this was a lie, since Ilana's father hated him more than he hated the warlords. He only let Razer attempt to battle his sons because he had assumed Razer to be a lesser warrior. Razer remembered the look on his face when he had brought down the last of the man's sons, and nearly broke his stoic facade. _

"_My son," Razer's father said, "you have won your bride. As you know, this means that you are a man and can no longer live in my compound. Have you obtained a suitable domicile for you and your new wife?"_

_Though everyone knew the answer, Razer answered, "I have father." The whole tradition of the bride's giving away was done in private, but was very ritualistic. One word wrong and a new wife was back to being just a farmer's daughter._

"_Then go on. You have earned your bride. Take her to your home and prosper."_

_Razer bowed and said, "Thank you." He left the room and went to where Illana waited. _

_Only her eyes show through the slit in the golden bridal veil, but Razer could tell that she was smiling. Her blue dress of an unwed maiden, which was to be burned at the wedding feast the next day, had been replaced by a beautiful black gown with golden tassels and embroidery, and her hands had been painted with the traditional symbols of life, fertility and fortune. _

_He reached his hand out to her- _the dream was cut off by Razer's sudden awakening, caused by something that Razer would never forget.

* * *

**Good cliffy to leave off on, I'd say... Please review!**

**And don't worry, I haven't forgotten about everyone's favorite AI. **


End file.
